If you have ever had any doubts that Netflix is out to dominate the world, look no further than their deal with David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the creators of the hit HBO show Game of Thrones.
The Emmy-winning duo has ousted signed a deal in Netflix for film and TV projects over a five-year period, yielding an amount that’s somewhere in the nine-figure range, potentially up to $300 million.
Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos tells Deadline:
“We are thrilled to welcome master storytellers David Benioff and Dan Weiss to Netflix. They are a creative force and have delighted audiences worldwide with their epic storytelling. We can’t wait to see what their imaginations will bring to our members.”
Here’s the statement released by Benioff and Weiss:
“We’ve had a beautiful run with HBO for more than a decade and we’re grateful to everyone there for always making us feel at home. Over the past few months we’ve spent many hours talking to [Netflix Vice President] Cindy Holland and [Netflix Acquisitions Executive] Peter Friedlander, as well as [Netflix Chief Content Officer] Ted Sarandos and [Netflix Head of Original Films] Scott Stuber. We remember the same shots from the same ‘80s movies; we love the same books; we’re excited about the same storytelling possibilities. Netflix has built something astounding and unprecedented, and we’re honored they invited us to join them.”
Benioff and Weiss will also be working on the new trilogy for Star Wars, so it looks like they’re getting in on that sweet, sweet Disney money as well. Even though fans were not happy about how Games of Thrones ended, the offers seem to be rolling in for these two. We’ll have to see if they are able to pull any of these future projects, or if their first high profile project was a sign of things to come.